Securable Hat

ABSTRACT

The present invention provides hats with attachment assemblies allowing them to be detachably secured to an article of clothing. In one example, the attachment assembly permits the hat to be detachably secured in an exterior-side out configuration to a belt of medium width worn around the wearer&#39;s waist, without requiring the hats to be inverted or reversed, and without any need for pockets, linings, zippers or the like. The hats may also be provided with retention members for holding the hats in a simple folded configuration when carried on the person. In such a configuration small personal items such as keys, loose change, mobile telephones may be carried in the retained, folded hat.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No.15/699,014, filed Mar. 8, 2017, which was a continuation-in-part of U.S.patent application Ser. No. 14/806,377, filed Jul. 22, 2015, which ishereby incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to hats and, in particular, to hats thatcan be secured to articles of clothing. More specifically, the inventionrelates to hats that can be secured to the body for storage; inpreferred examples the hats of the present invention are structured tobe secured to a belt worn on the person, for example, around anindividual's waist.

BACKGROUND

Hats are a valuable defense against the sun and inclement weather.Available in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and styles, they mayshield the wearer's eyes from glare, may protect the head from excessiveheat and cold, and may reduce the risk of skin cancer. However, aperennial question remains concerning how and where one is to store orcarry a hat that is not currently being worn; for example, when thewearer is indoors or at nighttime. Hats are constantly lost or misplacedas a result of their owners simply forgetting where they set them downor left them, or when a hat slips onto the floor unnoticed.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,799,335 to Ethier and U.S. Pat. No. 7,257,845 to Connerdisclose convertible hats that can be reassembled into handbags,shoulder bags, satchels, fanny packs or the like. However, each of thesehat designs is somewhat complicated and requires that the hat be folded,collapsed, turned inside out, or otherwise inverted in a way that wouldnot be intuitive or convenient to most users. Furthermore, althoughEthier and Conner disclose embodiments in which the hat may be convertedin form, for example, to a fanny pack or a self-containing bag or othercontainer, and worn joined to an elastic cord or strap that isincorporated as part of the convertible hat for use in one or more ofthese other, “non-hat” forms. Furthermore, none of these convertiblehats is structured and designed to be fastened to a separate,medium-width belt of the type normally worn with slacks, jeans orsimilar casual clothing.

U.S. Pat. No. 6,317,892 to Galigani, U.S. Pat. No. 7,036,155 to Rugg,U.S. Pat. No. 6,320,331 to Aguilar et al., and international patentapplication US20060048279 by Bartos, all show hats provided with hardfasteners such as clasps, clips, or rings for attachment to a belt.These rigid fasteners can be problematic, however, in that theirhardness makes them uncomfortable if they rub against the user's head.They also may be somewhat costly, prone to breakage, bulky, and easilylost.

Accordingly, there is a long-felt need for hats that can easily besecured to belts of a wide variety of width in a simple and intuitivefashion, are inexpensive to manufacture, and do not require separateextra parts.

SUMMARY

The present invention provides hats with attachment assemblies allowingthem to be detachably secured to the wearer's body, for example to awaistbelt. The attachment assembly is configured to be joined to astandard belt worn around the wearer's waist, preferably withoutrequiring the hats to be inverted, reversed, or folded in a complexfashion, and without the need for pockets, linings, zippers, bags, orthe like.

In its simplest, most basic form, a hat according to the presentinvention may comprise a crown portion, an optional brim portion, and anattachment assembly. The attachment assembly may comprise, for example,at least one strip of suitably flexible material, for example, a fabricmaterial, a leather material, a polymeric material and/or an elastomericmaterial, having at least one of a first end and a second end attachedto the exterior side of either the brim or crown portion, with theunattached end, if any, being attachable by any suitable fastener (suchas, without limitation, a snap fastener, a hook fastener, a magneticfastener, a buckle (such as a polymeric sliding side-release buckle), abutton fastener, an alligator clip-type fastener, and/or a hook and loopVELCRO®-type fastener). Preferably, but not necessarily always, thefirst and/or second ends and any fasteners are arranged to permit theends of the strip to be attached to the exterior side of the crownportion along a substantially vertical axis relative to the orientationof the hat while it is being worn. However, in some examples the ends ofthe strip are fastened, or are structured to be fastened, to one or moreinterior portion of the brim or crown. A substantially vertical axisshall mean an axis within about 45° of the vertical. The strip is ofsufficient length, preferably at least about 1.25″, or at least about1.50″, or at least about 1.75″ in length, to enable an ordinary belt ofat least medium width to be extended through it.

In one example, a single strip is provided, in the form of a length ofmaterial that is joined (e.g., by sewing) and/or fastened (i.e., by asuitable fastener) to the exterior of the hat crown and/or brim in sucha way as to define a loop. In another exemplary example, the strip isdefined in the form of material located between two closely spaced,similarly oriented slits in the crown or brim portion material. In thislatter example, the first end and second end of the strip are joined toand continuous with the material of the portion. In some examples, theattachment assembly may be joined to the brim portion. In some examples,the attachment assembly may be joined to the crown portion. Additionallyand independently, however the attachment assembly may otherwise beconfigured, the attachment assembly may in a particular case comprise aplurality of strips, such as two, three, four or more strips.

As disclosed above, in some examples, one end of the strip is detachablyfastened to the crown portion, so that the loop can easily be opened up,wrapped around the wearer's belt, and then fastened, without requiringthe user to unfasten the belt from around his or her body or fold thehat into another form. In other examples, the attachment assembly may bejoined to the brim portion of a hat, or may bridge the brim and crownportions thereof.

In addition, in some examples, the hat is formed of sufficientlyflexible material to allow it to be folded, for example, in one or morepleat when the hat is attached to a belt using the attachment aassembly. Optionally, the hat may also have at least one retentionmember comprising one or more suitable fastener for holding the hat in afolded position when secured to the belt.

In certain examples, the hat may have one or more magnet secured in acrown portion or a brim portion hereof, with a magnetically attractivematerial secured in an opposing part of the hat. For example (andwithout limitation), in the case that the hat is a “newsboy” or “cheesecutter” type hat the magnet(s) may be secured in the bottom of the backof the crown, and the magnetically attractive material may be secured inthe front edge of the crown, or in the front portion of the brim. Theattachment apparatus may be located on the outside of the back of thecrown portion. In this way when the hat is secured to the user's beltthe hat may be securely folded by flipping the brim down so that themagnets and magnetic material come into proximity with each other. Insuch cases, the interior of the crown may be used to provide aconvenient carrying pouch for keys, cell phone and other items.

Of course, the fasteners required to retain the hat in a securely foldedconformation need not be magnets, but may alternatively be any othersuitable and secure fastener type.

In another example, the present invention may comprise a short strap orcord (hereinafter “cord”) having a fastener at a plurality of positionsor ends thereof. The cord may comprise one or more strands. In oneexample, the cord may comprise the same type of fastener at each suchposition or end; in another example, the plurality of ends may comprisetwo or more different fasteners. The cord may in certain cases comprisea natural or synthetic elastic material such as a material havingflexibility along the linear axis of the cord. Additionally, oralternatively the cord may be made of any suitably strong lightweightmaterial, such as a strip or braided material comprising leather, apolymer, cloth and/or metal.

In some examples, the cord may comprise fasteners at two ends thereofcomprising magnetically attractive materials, such as a magnet at oneend and an iron material at another end, or magnets oriented to bringmagnetically attractive opposite poles together. In such an example thecord may comprise one or more fasteners are structured to attach to ahat. For example, the hat may comprise a female portion of a slidingside-release buckle such as those seen in backpacks or laptop carryingcases, while the male portion is attached at a point midway along thecord.

In use, the cord may be fastened to a hat at one end thereof, and to anarticle of clothing on the other end. This is particularly simple when,for example, alligator-type clips are used; one clip can be used toretain the brim or crown portion of a hat, while another end of the cordmay be used to clip the cord and hat to a belt, a shirt or trouserwaist. Of course, the ends of the cord may also be fastened to the hatat more than one end, thus resulting in a cord loop which can then beworn around the neck.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Additional aspects and examples of the present invention will becomeevident upon reviewing the non-limiting examples described in thespecification and the claims, which may be taken in conjunction with theaccompanying figures. Herein, like numerals in the drawings andspecification designate like elements, and:

FIG. 1 is a ¾ perspective view from the rear of an example of theinvention;

FIGS. 2-4 are fragmentary ¾ perspective views from the rear, showingalternate examples of the invention;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary perspective view showing a hat according to anyone of FIGS. 1-4 in an inverted position;

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary perspective view showing the hat of FIG. 1 beingworn in a folded configuration on the belt of a user;

FIG. 7 is a ¾ perspective view from the rear of another exemplaryembodiment of the invention;

FIG. 8 is a perspective view showing the hat of FIG. 7 in an invertedposition, with an item stored within;

FIG. 9A is a perspective view of the hat of FIGS. 7 and 8 in a foldedconfiguration.

FIG. 9B is a top view of the hat of FIG. 9A in an unfoldedconfiguration.

FIG. 10 is a side view of a “bucket”-style cloth hat of the presentinvention, showing an exemplary attachment assembly.

FIG. 11 is a view of the hat of FIG. 10 attached to a wearer's belt bythe attachment assembly.

FIG. 12 is a side view of a “bucket”-style cloth hat of the presentinvention, showing an exemplary attachment assembly.

FIG. 13 is a view showing how a belt is threaded through the attachmentassembly of the hat of FIG. 12.

FIG. 14 is a view of the hat of FIG. 12 attached to a wearer's belt bythe attachment assembly.

FIG. 15 is a side view of a woven watch cap or “beanie”, having anattachment assembly joined along a side thereof.

FIG. 16 is a view of the hat of FIG. 12 attached to a wearer's belt bythe attachment assembly.

FIG. 17 is a bottom view of a Panama-style hat comprising an attachmentassembly of the invention.

FIG. 18 is a bottom view of a a baseball-type hat comprising anotherexample of the attachment assembly of the invention.

FIG. 19 is a close-up view of the posterior portion of the hat shown inFIG. 18.

FIG. 20 is an example of a baseball-type hat comprising a detachableattachment assembly of the invention.

FIG. 21 shows the detached portion of the attachment assembly shown inFIG. 20.

FIG. 22 is a bottom view of a foldable newsboy-type hat showingplacement of fasteners for securing the hat in a folded configuration.

FIG. 23 shows the hat of FIG. 22 in a folded and secured configuration.

FIG. 24 is a bottom view of a further Panama-style hat comprising anexample of the attachment assembly of the invention.

FIG. 25 shows the Panama-style hat of FIG. 24 in which the hat isarranged to be worn on a belt.

FIG. 26 shows a safari-style hat comprising an attachment apparatus anda strap for folding the hat when not in use.

FIG. 27 shows a close-up of the brim of the safari-style hat of FIG. 26.

FIG. 28 shows a partially folded safari-style hat of FIG. 26.

FIG. 29 shows a folded and secured safari-style hat of FIG. 26.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

In accordance with a first exemplary embodiment of the invention, FIG. 1shows a cap 10 having a generally dome-shaped crown portion 12configured to engage a wearer's head, and a brim portion 14, (here avisor or bill), that projects outwardly from a forward portion of thecap. It will be understood that in some examples of the invention thebrim portion may be absent, or may partially or wholly extend around thecrown portion. An attachment assembly 16 is provided for attachment ofthe hat to a belt on the wearer's waist.

In the example shown in FIG. 1, the attachment assembly comprises asingle strip 18 of material, such as a denim or canvas fabric. First andsecond ends (20, 22) of the strip 18 are joined to the eternal backportion of the crown in such a way that the strip 18 and the underlyingportion of the crown together define a loop through which the end ofmedium-width belt may be passed. In this example the opposite ends 20,22 of the strip 18 are sewn to the crown 12. It will be understood thatany appropriate means of joining the strip ends 20, 22 to the crownportion 12 of the hat, such as sewing or riveting, may be employed.

In an alternate example shown in FIG. 2, the attachment assembly 16′comprises a plurality of strips 18 a′, 18 b′, and 18 c′ joined to thehat at closely spaced intervals from one another. The spacing betweenstrips is preferably no more than about 1″-3″ or so; thus, for exampleallowing the hat to be gathered into pleat folds when attached to awearer's belt.

FIG. 3 shows another exemplary embodiment wherein the attachmentassembly 16″ comprises a flexible strip 18″ having a first end 20″ sewnto the crown portion 12″ and a second end 22″ fastened to the crown bymeans of a releasable connection between a first fastener element (notshown) on the second end 22″ and a second fastener element 26″ on thecrown portion 12″. The second fastener element 26″ is shown here as amale snap fastener; the first fastener element is in this case a femalefastener element. However, other releasable fastener elements such asbuttons, hook and loop type fasteners and the like, are also suitablefor use in attachment assemblies of this type. Of course, the hat maycomprise two or more such strips suitably oriented to all be joined to asingle belt in other examples.

A useful feature of attachment assemblies such as those shown in FIG. 3and described above is that the hat may advantageously be joined to theuser's belt without taking the belt off by looping the strip around thebelt and fastening the first and second fastener elements of each stripcomponent.

FIG. 4 shows still another example, wherein the attachment assembly 16′″comprises a strip 18′″ which is defined as an integral portion of thecrown portion 12′″ disposed between a pair of closely spaced-apart slits19, 21. In this example, the user secures the cap to the belt byinserting the free end of the belt into one of the slits 19, passing itunder the strip 18′″, and then pulling it out through the other slit 21before buckling or otherwise fastening the belt.

The strip or strips 18 in each of the examples shown FIGS. 1-4preferably extends in a substantially radial and vertical orientationtoward the apex 28 of the hat 10.

That is, the strip should extend at an angle of no more than about 45°away from a straight line extending between the bottom edge 30 and theapex 28 of the hat 10. In this way, a hat, particularly a soft, foldablehat, may be oriented when worn on a belt in a manner permitting the hatto take up less bulk room on the belt than it might otherwise do.

In an optional configuration, FIG. 5 shows an example in which the hatis a flexible cap; in this view the hat 10 in an inverted position sothat its interior surface 32 is visible, revealing a plurality offastener members mounted along the interior front edge of the hat 10.These fastener members, shown here as female snap fastener elements 32a, 32 b, and 32 c, are configured to releasably engage mating male snapfastener elements 34 a, 34 b, 34 c mounted along the exterior rear edgeof the hat 10 (see FIG. 1), to maintain the hat 10 in a folded positionwhen it has been secured on the wearer's belt, as shown in FIG. 5. Inthis and similar configurations, the fastener members permit the cap tofolded over itself to form a pocket (see e.g., FIG. 6). Thus, in thisfolded position, the hat 10 may also serve as a convenient receptaclefor containing an item such as a cell phone 38 (see e.g., FIG. 8),wallet, car keys or the like.

The flexible strips 18 in each of the examples shown in FIGS. 1-6 arepreferably long enough, and the positions at which they are joined tothe crown portion of the hat sufficiently widely spaced, to provideadequate clearance for a belt 36 of at least medium width, where thewidth of the belt is defined as the dimension extending transverse tothe length or longitude of the belt. At present, a medium width belt isa recognized to be at least 1¼″ wide, with at least ½″ clearancerequired to allow the belt 36 to be easily slipped through loops definedby the strips 18. Thus, each strip 18 should preferably be at leastabout 1.25″, or at least about 1.50″, or at least about 1.75″ inch.

FIGS. 7 and 8 show an alternate example of the hat 110, wherein theattachment assembly 116 comprises a flexible strip 118 that extends in agenerally circumferential direction along the bottom rear edge of thecrown of the hat 110. One end 120 of the strip 118 is sewn or otherwisepermanently secured to the crown, while the other end 122 is providedwith a first element of a releasable fastener member such as a male snapfastener element 124 that mates with a second fastener element of areleasable connection such as female snap fastener element 126 providedon the edge of the crown 112, preferably at a distance of at least about1″, or at least about 1.5″, or at least about 2″ away from the first end120 of the strip 118. This arrangement serves to hold the strip 118 inplace when the hat 110 is being worn on the user's head. However, whenthe hat 110 is removed from the wearer's head, the second end 122 of thestrip 118 may be releasably secured to a third fastener element of areleasable connection such as female snap fastener element 128, which isprovide on the rear portion of the hat, thus defining a loop whichpermits the hat to be attached to a belt when not in use.

Alternatively, the hat of FIG. 7 may be folded in two and the firstfastener element 124 (in this case, a male fastening element) attachedto a fourth fastening element 132 (in this case, female) provided on theexterior front portion of the crown or brim portion 112. This allows thehat 110 to be folded in two, forming a convenient receptacle forcontaining a cell phone 138 or the like.

As in the embodiment of FIGS. 1-6, the strip 118 is preferably at leastabout 1.25″, or at least about 1.50″, or at least about 1.75″ inch, toenable it to form a loop with sufficient clearance to receive a belt ofat least medium width. Furthermore, the strip should be form ofsufficiently flexible material to enable it to be easily twisted from agenerally circumferential orientation allowing the second end of thestrip 118 to be secured to the second connection element 126 to agenerally radial orientation allowing the second end of the strip to besecured to the third fastener element 128.

Turning now to FIGS. 9A and 9B, an alternative example of a flat cap isdepicted. In this case, the attachment assembly is substantially similarto that shown on FIG. 7. However, fastener elements 134 a and 134 b (inthis case female snap fastener elements) are present along the lowerrear edge of the crown of the hat, and configured to be removably joinedto complementary fastener elements 136 a and 136 b on the outer brimportion of the hat. In this way, the hat can be folded over as shown inFIG. 9A, with the send end 124 of the strip 118 joined to femalefastener element 132 to create a loop for fastening the folded hat to awaist belt. The additional fastener elements help create a more securepouch or pocket in which items may be carried while the hat is folded.

FIG. 10 shows a “bucket”-style cloth hat of the present invention,showing an exemplary attachment assembly. In this example, theattachment assembly comprises three cloth strips 118, with each striphaving a first end 120 and second end 124 attached to the brim portion114 thereof.

FIG. 11 shows the bucket-style hat of FIG. 10 attached to a waist belt36 with the attachment assembly comprising strips 118.

FIG. 12 shows a “bucket”-style cloth hat of the present invention,showing an exemplary attachment assembly. In this example, theattachment assembly comprises three strips 118, with each strip disposedbetween a pair of closely spaced-apart slits 119. In this example, theuser may secure the cap to the belt by inserting the free end of thebelt into one of the slits 119, passing it under the strip 118, and thenpulling it out through the other slit 119 before buckling or otherwisefastening the belt.

FIG. 13 shows a way in which the hat of FIG. 12 may be attached to awaist belt 136 and folded before buckling or otherwise fastening thebelt. The belt through each slit 119 and under each strip 118.

In this manner, when the belt 136 is cinched up and fastened, forexample, as shown in FIG. 14, the hat is preferably carried in aninverted position, thereby providing a convenient pouch for keys, cellphone and other items.

Turning now to FIG. 15, a watch cap is depicted. In this example thewatch cap comprises an attachment assembly having three strips 118, eachstrip having a first end 120 and second end 124 attached to the crownportion 112 of the cap. This cap can be fastened to a belt as shown inFIG. 16; in this configuration, a pouch may be formed as shown to holditems to be carried while the hat is folded; the side of the watch capthat is not joined to the belt by the attachment assembly (in FIG. 16,the inner portion of the watch cap behind the belt) may be held closedagainst the body by cinching the waist belt sufficiently tightly toprevent items carried in the pouch from spilling therefrom.Alternatively, the inner lower sides of the watch cap may comprisefastening elements.

Although the hat shown, for example, in the exemplary embodiments ofFIGS. 1-6 is shown as a baseball-type cap, while the hat shown in otherexemplary embodiments (such as FIGS. 7, 8, 9A and 9B, in which the hatis shown as a flat cap), the principles of the instant invention are notintended to be restricted to use with any particular style of hat, butcan be applied with equal effectiveness to a wide variety of hats,including bucket hats, newsboy hats, fisherman hats, and the like.

In FIG. 17 a straw fedora-type hat is shown, with an attachment assemblycomprising a single strip 118 having a first end 120 and second end 124sewn under the brim of the hat.

In FIG. 18 a baseball cap-type hat 201 is shown having an attachmentassembly 203 comprising a cord 205 comprising a length of doubledpolymeric braided fiber. However, in other examples the cord may be madeof any suitable material include a fabric, fibrous material, or a metal.A top end of the cord is sewn to an attachment point (see FIG. 19) onthe outside posterior portion 207 of the crown of the hat. The cordextends downward from this attachment point and extends through a loopof fabric 209 having two ends sewn to the outside surface of the hat.The doubled bottom end of the cord 211 terminates in an alligator-typeclamp fastener 213, for fastening to e.g., an article of clothing. Thefastener comprises a hole 215 through which a keychain ring 217 issecured; a single braid of the cord 219 is also looped through thekeychain ring.

FIG. 19 is another view of the hat of FIG. 18 showing the attachmentpoint 221 for the top end of the cord on the outside posterior portion207 of the crown of the hat. This view also shows a close up view of theloop of fabric 209 having two ends sewn to the outside surface of thehat, and the bottom end of the cord 211, the keychain ring 217 and thealligator-type clamp fastener 213. FIG. 20 shows another baseball-typehat comprising an attachment assembly 301 comprising a cord 303comprising a polymeric strap having a polymeric sliding side-releasebuckle assembly 305. One end of the polymeric buckle assembly 305 isattached to an posterior portion of the crown of the hat 307 by a fabricloop 309 having ends attached to the crown of the hat. The other end ofthe polymeric buckle assembly is attached to each of two magnetassemblies 311 secured to the ends of two elastic ligatures 313. Themagnet assemblies are structured to permit opposite poles to align.Alternatively, the magnetic materials may comprise a magnet and amagnetically attractive substance, such as iron.

As better shown in FIG. 21, the two elastic ligatures 313 are eachconnected to the polymeric buckle assembly through each of two fabricloops 315 sewn as part of a short length of the polymeric strap 317.Those of skill in the art recognize that the ligatures 313 need not beelastic in every example of the invention and may be joined by a singleattachment point (rather than by multiple attachment points, as here) tothe length of polymeric strap. Similarly, the attachment of the bucklemay be accomplished by any suitable method and shall remain within thescope of this invention.

The other end of the polymeric strap 317 of this example is joined to amale portion 319 of the polymeric sliding side-release buckle assembly305. This male portion 319 of the sliding side-release buckle assemblyfits largely within, and connects to a corresponding female portion(321; FIG. 20) of, the polymeric sliding side-release buckle assembly(not shown) which remains attached to the hat.

This arrangement permits the polymeric strap 317 of the attachmentassembly shown in FIGS. 19 and 20 to be detached from the hat duringnormal wear and stored in a pocket, purse or other carrier, leaving thehat with with only one fastener attached. Of course, those of ordinaryskill in the art recognize that any other suitable type of fasteners maybe used.

FIG. 22 is a view showing the interior portion of a soft tweednewsboy-type hat, 401. One or more first magnetically attractivematerials (such as magnets) 403 are placed in the lining of the crown ofthe hat toward the posterior bottom portion thereof, and one or moreadditional magnetically attractive materials (such as magnets) 405 areplaced in the brim of the hat in such a way as to align with and beattracted to the additional magnetically attractive material(s) 403 inthe lining of the bottom crown of the hat when folded over additionalmagnetically attractive material(s) in the brim 405 as shown in FIG. 23,thereby magnetically securing and holding closed the folded hat.

Also as shown in FIG. 23, an attachment assembly, in this casecomprising a sewn loop of fabric 407, is located on the posterior crownof the hat so that the secured, folded hat may be worn on an article ofclothing, such as a belt. The cavity within the interior crown of thehat may be used to store small items such a writing implements, mobiletelephones, keys and the like.

FIG. 24 depicts an inverted view of a Panama-style hat with anattachment assembly comprising two pairs of loops located on theunderside of the hat brim; a first pair of loops 501 attached at theleft and right sides of the brim, and a second pair of lops 503 attachedto the anterior and posterior of the underside of the hat brim.

Each loop comprises a length of material joined (e.g. sewn) to theunderside of the hat brim. As shown, the loops of each pair of loops arealigned to be parallel to each other. In this version, both loops ofeach pair of loops are oriented at a 90° angle to the other pair;however, in other examples, all the loops may be oriented in a parallelarrangement.

FIG. 25 shows the same view of the Panama-style hat shown in FIG. 24,with a waist belt 505 inserted through one of the two pairs of loops. Inthis way, the hat may be worn on the belt when not being used, with thecrown facing outwards from the body.

FIG. 26 is a view of a soft “safari”-style hat having a female snapfastener on the brim 603 and a male snap fastener on the crown 607thereof to permit the brim to be folded against a side of the crown whenworn, if desired. Those of skill in the art recognize that the choice ofwhich location to place the male snap fastener and the female snapfastener is merely a matter of personal choice.

An attachment assembly comprises a fastener (in this case,alligator-type clip 603) affixed to the brim of the hat. Additionally, astrap 601 preferably comprising a length of an elastic material is shownalso affixed to the brim of the hat for folding the hat, as shown inFIGS. 27-29. The strap 601 comprises a male snap fastener at or proximalto the distal end thereof (not shown).

FIG. 27 is a close-up view of the brim of the hat shown in FIG. 26,showing the alligator-type clip 603 and strap 601, as well as a femalesnap fastener 609 matched to fit the male snap fastener of the strap601, with the length and placement of the strap and fastener 609calibrated to retain the hat together securely when in a foldedconfiguration.

FIG. 28 depicts the hat of FIGS. 26 and 27, folded in half.

FIG. 29 depicts the hat of FIGS. 26-28 folded in quarters, with thedistal end of the strap 601 fastened to fastener 609 (not shown) to holdthe folded hat in the folded state. When affixed to a belt, waistband orother article of clothing in an inverted orientation using clip fastener(see FIG. 27, reference numeral 603) the inside of the crown of the hatforms a pouch for holding keys, wallets, loose change, mobile telephonesand/or other small personal items.

As indicated previously, features such as, without limitation, fabrics,fastener types, and the like described or otherwise disclosed in thisspecification in connection with certain types of hats, cords and thelike altered while remaining within the scope of this invention. Variousmodifications could be made in the types of fasteners used, thematerials used, and so forth, without departing from the spirit of theinvention. The appended claims are therefore intended to cover andembrace any such modifications within the limits only of the true spiritand scope of the invention.

1-20. (canceled)
 21. A securable hat assembly comprising: a) a waistbelt for securing around the waist of a wearer, and b) a hat componentcomprising a crown portion for covering the wearer's head, the crownportion including an interior side and an exterior side; a brim portionextending from a lower edge of the crown portion, the brim portionincluding an interior side and an exterior side; and an attachmentassembly for detachably securing the hat to said waist belt when worn onthe wearer's waist, the attachment assembly comprising at least onestrip of flexible material having first and second ends attached to theexterior side of the of the hat; wherein said at least one strip has alength sufficient to extend transversely over a waist belt of at leastmedium width.
 22. The securable hat according to claim 21, wherein: theat least one strip is formed of fabric; and a first end of the strip issewn to the crown portion of the hat.
 23. The securable hat according toclaim 22, wherein the attachment assembly further comprises: a firstfastener element of a releasable connection mounted on a second end ofthe at least one strip; and a second fastener element of a releasableconnection mounted on the hat; wherein said first fastener element andsecond fastener element are configured to engage one another todetachably secure the second end of the at least one strip to the hat;and wherein the at least one strip and a portion of the hat underlyingthe at least one strip cooperate to define a loop.
 24. The securable hataccording to claim 21, wherein the at least one strip comprises at leasttwo closely spaced-apart strips.
 25. The securable hat according toclaim 21, wherein: the attachment assembly includes at least one pair ofspaced-apart slits formed in the crown of the hat and defining said atleast one strip, said at least one strip comprising an integral portionof material disposed between the two slits.
 26. The securable hataccording to claim 24, wherein: the hat is formed of sufficientlyflexible material to enable to the hat to be folded across an axis; andcomprises at least one fastener member on an exterior side thereof formaintaining the hat in a folded configuration.
 27. The securable hataccording to claim 26, wherein the at least one fastener membercomprises: at least one male fastener member mounted on the exteriorside of the hat; and at least one female fastener member located on theexterior side of the hat and configured to engage the male fastenerelement when the hat is folded.
 28. The securable hat according to claim27, wherein the at least one strip extends in a generally radialdirection relative to the top of the crown portion.
 29. The securablehat according to claim 27, wherein the crown and brim portions areunlined.
 30. The securable hat of claim 21 wherein said attachmentassembly comprises a snap fastener, a hook fastener, a magneticfastener, a buckle, a button fastener, an alligator clip-type fastener,and/or a hook and loop VELCRO®-type fastener).
 31. The securable hatassembly of claim 25 wherein said attachment assembly includes at leasttwo pair of spaced-apart slits, wherein each said pair of spaced-apartslits defines a flexible strip therebetween.
 32. A method for retaininga hat on a person's body comprising fastening a hat comprising anattachment assembly in an exterior side-out configuration to a waistbelt worn on said person's waist; said fastening step comprising a stepselected from the group consisting of: a) inserting an end of said waistbelt through an attachment assembly component comprising at least onestrip of flexible material having a length sufficient to extendtransversely over a waist belt of at least medium width, and b)inserting an attachment assembly component comprising at least one stripof flexible material having a length sufficient to extend transverselyover a waist belt of at least medium width around said waist belt;wherein said hat is maintained in an exterior side-out configurationwhile being retained on the person's body.
 33. An attachment assemblyfor securing a hat to an article of clothing comprising an attachmentassembly including a cord having a first end and a second end, in whichat least one of said first end and second end comprises a fastenerelement structured to secure said hat and at least one of said first andsecond end comprises a fastener element structured to secure said cordto an article of clothing; and wherein at least one fastener element isstructured to be detachable from said hat or said article of clothing.34. The attachment assembly of claim 33 in which said cord comprises atleast one fastener selected from the group selected from a snapfastener, a hook fastener, a magnetic fastener, a buckle, a buttonfastener, an alligator clip-type fastener, and a hook and loopVELCRO®-type fastener.
 35. The attachment assembly of claim 33 in whichsaid cord comprises leather, a polymer, cloth and/or a metal.
 36. Theattachment assembly of claim 34 in which said cord comprises leather, apolymer, cloth and/or a metal.